Dina Titus challengers speak to Republican women

Former state Sen. Joe Heck, Boulder City resident Richard Stubbs running in Congressional District 3

Mona Shield Payne / Special to the Sun

Candidates for Congressional District 3, former state Sen. Joe Heck and longtime Boulder City resident Richard Stubbs, right, speak with Jim Murphy, center, Thursday during a luncheon hosted by the Boulder City Republican Women at Railroad Pass Casino.

By Jean Reid Norman (contact)

Friday, Oct. 16, 2009 | 2:05 a.m.

Luncheon at Railroad Pass

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Dina Titus

Lauer enters NV 3rd congressional race (10-13-2009)
The governor's race and Joe Heck (10-7-2009)
Dems blast Heck for switching to congressional race (10-6-2009)
Sen. Joe Heck 'seriously considering' run against Dina Titus (9-29-2009)

Archive of Sun politics stories

Politics: The Early Line

Former state Sen. Joe Heck took his new candidacy for Congress for a spin before a friendly audience and against an early opponent.

Heck appeared before the Boulder City Republican Women’s Club at Railroad Pass Casino on Thursday with fellow candidate for Congressional District 3 Richard Stubbs. Both are Republicans.

Heck had been a candidate for governor when he accepted the invitation to speak at the group’s monthly luncheon.

Last week, he switched to the race against incumbent Democrat Dina Titus in the district that includes Boulder City.

Heck explained his switch by saying that campaigns have to start so early anymore that the best decision can’t always be made initially. He had considered Congress as early as January but initially decided on the governor’s race so he would not have to commute between Washington, D.C., and Henderson to see his 12-year-old son.

He had done enough of that with legislative sessions in Carson City and three deployments as an officer in the Army Reserves, he said.

But after John Guedry pulled out of the race against Titus, Heck was asked to reconsider, and his wife helped him make the decision, he said.

“My wife said the family had always sacrificed to what is best for the country,” he said. “She said, ‘You need to be in Washington. Your family will sacrifice again.’”

Heck, a doctor, criticized the policies of President Barack Obama on the economic stimulus package, health-care reform and the war in Afghanistan.

Because of the stimulus package, he said, the federal government is the largest auto maker, banker and mortgage provider, “and now it wants to be the largest health-care provider with money borrowed from China.”

The Democratic plan, he said, would “drive insurance companies out of business, set rates and get between physicians and patients.” Doctors near retirement will choose to leave the profession early, he said.

He asked the group and other Republican women’s groups to launch voter registration drives to close the 40,000-voter gap between Democrats and Republicans in the state.

Stubbs, a Boulder City resident since childhood, told the group the main difference between him and his new rival is “he is a younger man, and I am a young senior. You don’t have to worry about me and term limits.”

A retired Navy chaplain and former Marine, Stubbs described taking the military oath of office to “protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” His induction into the Marine Corps prompted him to read the Constitution for the first time, he said, and the Constitution is what motivated him to run for office. He filled an unexpired term on the Boulder City Council in 1993 and 1994.

Stubbs addressed illegal immigration, saying the United States should have a border guard patterned after the Coast Guard and develop a special operations training center near the U.S.-Mexico border.

Then special operations units could train along the border and do double duty by hunting down drug dealers and coyotes bringing illegal immigrants across the border.

He advocated repealing the 17th amendment, which set the current system for electing senators. Before then, each state legislature chose its senator.

“Senators no longer represent the people. They represent lobbyists,” he said.

Stubbs also wants to see the 16th amendment, which allows for an income tax, repealed, he said.

“I love my country. That’s why I’m here,” he said. “That, and I’m tired and my wife is tired of me yelling at the TV.”

Discussion: 9 comments so far…

By Nevada_Ned

10/16/09 at 6:03 a.m.

Suggest removal

Repeal the Federal income tax? THAT will balance the budget!!
By atdleft

10/16/09 at 7:41 a.m.

Suggest removal

Blah, blah, blah, "I hate taxes." B;ah, blah, blah, "Let the poor people die." Blah, blah, blah, "I don't care about people who can't afford to cut $2,300 checks to me."

Typical Republicans. We're so done with them!
By POWERPLAY

10/16/09 at 10:44 a.m.

Suggest removal

Hey atdleft: If your so done with the Republicans then your done with are money too right. YEA SURE YOU ARE!
By Mia_Kulper

10/16/09 at 12:21 p.m.

Suggest removal

From the article:
---
Stubbs addressed illegal immigration, saying the United States should have a border guard patterned after the Coast Guard and develop a special operations training center near the U.S.-Mexico border.
---

Maybe Republican candidate Richard Stubbs thinks we should have Coast Guard cutters patrolling the US/Mexican border? lolz

I wonder why the Republicans failed to secure the border for all those years when they had control of the federal government?
By NLV-Indep13

10/16/09 at 2 p.m.

Suggest removal

Heck's said what he's against -- but hasn't said what he's for or what he'd do. Simply playing to the faithful. Stubbs wants to repeal two amendments to the Constitution and have Spec Ops "train" by hunting down smugglers & illegals crossing the border. Is this really the best the GOP can muster against Titus?
By afveteran

10/16/09 at 2:08 p.m.

Suggest removal

If the winning candidate can get the Feds to do their job by hunting down Illegals nationwide and getting rid of them, then that candidate has the "American Citizen's Who Love America" vote!
Unfortunately, there are way too many citizens who hate America!
By Burrittobandit2

10/16/09 at 2:19 p.m.

Suggest removal

Let me do my best Dina Titus impression;
I d o n ' t h a v e a n a c c e n t.
By mred

10/16/09 at 3:47 p.m.

Comment removed by staff.
By DessertSun

10/17/09 at 10:42 a.m.

Suggest removal

Let's get a representative in Congress that actually listens to their constituents. It would be refreshing to see a change in our current representation!